World Through the Windscreen
by aussiebabe290
Summary: Continuation of where the Rafters let off, with Dave, Julie and little Ruby on the road, Nathan and Sammy a family once more, Carbo and Retta building their little family, Rachel and Jake in New York and Ben and Emma wondering about their future together.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! Welcome to my first PTTR story in well over a year :) I don't know how this one is going to go! I don't know how long it will be, or how large of a timeframe it will cover. I honestly don't even know how often updates will be! But here's chapter one, and it would mean so much if you let me a review :)**

* * *

It had been their home for the best part of twenty five years. And yet there they were, driving away from it, with all the people they loved waving from the footpath. While it would always be their home, it wasn't theirs anymore. And not even twenty five years of memories could change that. Over twenty five years of Christmases, birthdays, sleepy Sunday afternoons, all behind the yellow door of their little house.

Julie and Dave Rafter, with the company of their youngest daughter Ruby, were off on the adventure of a lifetime. They were leaving their Carrs Park home and heading off into the unknown, leaving behind three of their birds, and a menagerie of extras.

Three birds that had flown the nest long ago.

Rachel, who had left for uni but had returned after an abusive relationship, living abroad in New York City. Ben, the middle child and still their baby, living only on the other side of the Colourbond, and Nathan. The real baby, for over twenty years, who had endured heartbreak after heartbreak but had his ex-wife and love of his life to piece his and his son's lives back together.

As hard as Julie tried, she still saw the baby faces that stared back at her from the photo frames in the backseat, beside their youngest daughter strapped into her five point harness, kicking her little feet sleepily.

They'd flown the nest long ago, and this time, their parents were too.

* * *

"It's so weird not having Mum and Dad next door", Ben commented, and Carbo shrugged.

"They're the best fake parents".

"They're the best real parents", Nathan added, as Retta tossed him the bottle she had just pulled out of the microwave. "What time did Rachel say she was Skyping?"

"She'll be calling in a few minutes", Sammy said, taking Edward from his arms. "It is weird though… we always went there".

"If Mum had her way she'd still be there when the new people move in", Ben chuckled, plucking the laptop up from in front of Sammy.

"Ben!"

"What?" he protested.

"Maybe we should have gone through the house one more time", Retta said instead, breaking the argument between the dark haired people beside her. "To make sure they didn't forget anything".

"They wouldn't, Mum's paranoid".

But they all knew what Retta was saying. Maybe they should have all wandered through the house one more time, to say goodbye to the place where Rachel, Ben and Nathan had grown up, and the others had called their home away from home.

They had, in a way. When Dave and Julie were farewelling their home and gathering Ruby's toys into the back of the van, they had wandered through, bringing up memories that were long forgotten. All the sleepovers together in Rachel's room when their babysitters got weird, the games of cricket in the backyard, the hundreds of thousands of dinnertime conversations in the dining room. That they were there for, and that they'd heard. Memories of Christmases, birthdays, the cake tin on the counter, filled with their favourite chocolate mud cake.

Everything that they knew.

But all that was changing.

* * *

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Julie said suddenly, breaking Dave out of his reverie.

"Jules, they'll be okay". Dave smiled at his wife, taking his hand off the gearstick to squeeze hers. "They're all grown up. I think they'll be more worried about us, out here in the big bad world".

* * *

"Do you think Mum and Dad will be okay?" Rachel wanted to know, leaning on Jake as they crowded to fit in the webcam window. "I mean they've never done anything like this before".

"God you're like Mum", Ben scoffed. "They're adults too Rachel, I'm sure they'll be fine".

"And if anything happens we'll be the first to know about it", Nathan added, rocking Edward gently. "Sorry Rach, you miss out".

"Nathan!"

"You're in a completely different time zone; you deserve to find the news out last".

"Nathan you suck, you deserved that time I hit you with a cricket bat!"

Retta laughed, having heard that story a countless number of times.

"They'll be back. I don't know when, but they'll be back", Ben said confidently. "And then you can all lumber on them again and force Mum to make chocolate cake".

"Yes, we really forced her", Rachel said sarcastically, grinning at her brother, who stuck his tongue out in the most adult retort he could manage. "Grow up Ben",

"Grow up Rachel".

"They'll be okay", Sammy said firmly, grinning.

It was the end of an era, but the start of something new.


	2. Chapter 2

They'd been on the road for a little over a week, Dave, Julie and little Ruby. And while it was oddly reminiscent of the summers they'd drive to Whiting Beach (without the cacophony of noise from the backseat, as Rachel, Ben and Nathan fought over the limited space), their drive held a completely different sense of direction.

Because unlike their summers at Whiting Beach, they didn't have a destination.

"Where we goin' Daddy?" Ruby said suddenly, and Dave grinned, bracing himself for the stream of questions that were sure to follow. Ruby, much like her big brother Nathan, had a thirst for knowledge and didn't stop until she got her answers.

They knew that already, but had learned it once more, after being confined in the car for an extended period of time.

"We're heading to Adelaide baby girl", Dave decided, and Julie looked at him in surprise.

"Adelaide?"

Dave nodded. "Adelaide".

"Where's Ad'laide?" Ruby questioned, beginning to kick her feet again, one arm clutching her Tonka truck.

"A long way away, Rubes", Julie chuckled.

"Oh".

And Ruby turned her attention back to the window, watching as the country flew by.

* * *

They'd been driving along the Great Ocean Road, through Victoria, with no apparent destination. They'd stopped and they'd seen the Twelve Apostles, Dave holding Ruby above his head and watching as the wind blew through her golden curls.

Seeing their youngest in that light, her mouth open in a grin, reminded Julie of their eldest at the same age. She laughed and screamed in joy as Dave tossed her into the air, making Julie gasp in a way that both terrified her and exhilarated her.

She had never loved Dave more than the times she caught him playing with their kids. The nights where she found him reading stories to Rachel, finding him hitting a cricket ball around the backyard with Ben, allowing Nathan to help him in the shed.

He was a family man, and she loved him more than ever.

* * *

They didn't make all the way to Adelaide. But they found themselves a sweet little shack on the beach, with a nearby park.

"Is this home?" Ruby wanted to know, bouncing within the constraints of her car seat and Julie laughed, turning around to unbuckle the little girl's seatbelt. "We home now Mummy?"

"For tonight at least!" Julie laughed, opening the door and allowing her to bounce outside.

The sun was still high in the sky, so after they'd poked around the little beach shack, they went for a walk. Julie's hand clutched Dave's, leaning against him, as Ruby skipped ahead of them, enjoying the cool evening air and the freedom that came from being out of the car.

"I could get used to this", Dave mused, as he and his wife took a seat on a park bench, watching Ruby climb up the frame in the park. "Fresh air, the beach… that one running wild. It's like Whiting Beach all over again".

"Only she doesn't have any brother or sisters with her to go running from the goannas from", Julie chuckled, resting her head on his shoulder.

"LOOK A'ME!" Ruby hollered, grinning hugely from the top of the climbing frame, and Dave laughed.

* * *

"Ruby's crashed", Julie confirmed, coming into the bedroom. Dave was lying on his side, flipping through the road directory, wondering where the days ahead of them were going to take them. "Apparently these long days wear her out. Parks, too".

"Little terror", Dave chuckled. "She's so much like Rachel".

"No, I see more Ben", Julie shrugged. "And a lot of Nathan".

Ruby Louise was a mixture of all their toddlers into one, with the same eyes as her father and the same smile as her mother.

"She thinks we're home now", Julie chuckled, her head resting on Dave's chest.

"My home is wherever my girls are, Julie Rafter", Dave whispered, kissing the top of her head gently. Julie smiled, tilting her head to press her lips against his. "I love you".


	3. Chapter 3

"Ben!" Nathan bellowed down the stairs. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Don't say hell in front of the baby!" Sammy said indignantly, shielding little Edward's ears. In the time since she had returned, she had become almost like a mother to baby Edward- she had hauled herself out of bed to make him a bottle in the middle of the night, and was almost a pro at changing nappies.

"Yeah Nathan, what is wrong with you?" Ben wanted to know, kissing Sammy on the cheek (he'd always liked her) and ticking Edward under his chin. "What's your drama now mate?"

Nathan just sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Never mind".

"God you're weird. Your daddy's a weird one buddy", Ben cooed and Nathan smacked him upside the head as he walked past.

"Ow!" he turned indignantly to Sammy. "Did you see that?"

"Don't come crying to me, you practically asked for that", she chuckled.

* * *

"Hey, can you babysit tomorrow?" Nathan checked, as Ben came down the stairs, later that same day.

"Depends", Ben said thoughtfully, a grin gracing his features. "Do I get pizza money?"

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Sure".

Ben laughed. "Sure mate- you taking Sammy somewhere nice?"

"I've actually booked a restaurant in the city for the two of us tomorrow night".

"Because you assumed I'd be free to babysit? Your built in babysitters have moved out now, they're roaming Australia with their kid".

"Retta offered. She's the one who wants all the practice before their baby's born". Nathan shrugged and Ben snickered. "So can you do it or not?"

"Sure, he's a pretty cool kid". Ben shrugged with a grin.

* * *

"Come on Sam, time to go!" Nathan held out his hand and Sammy took it gingerly, Nathan squeezing it tight.

"When will you be home?" Ben wanted to know, gently jiggling Edward in his arms.

"I don't know". Nathan shrugged.

"Not too late", Sammy said instead, kissing Edward's little nose.

"Be good for Uncle Ben buddy!" Nathan said cheerily, closing the door.

* * *

When they were younger, they had dived straight into a relationship, and before they knew it, they were living together. But slightly older Nathan and Sammy were more careful. They had been so young- and they still were. But their circumstances were different then. They had been divorced, and in that time Nathan had remarried and had a son.

But despite all that, they still looked exactly the same. And they saw the looks that only they had been able to share, years earlier when they were first engaged.

They were older. Maybe even a little wiser.

"This is lovely", Sammy said with a smile, as she took her seat at the table.

"Yeah, I think we need a night out. Just the two of us".

They weren't a couple. And yet they weren't just friends either. Some nights, Sammy would find herself curling up beside Nathan in the bed he had in the Calamari Castle, too tired to go back to her own place. And that way it was easier, when they went for a morning walk with Edward. They had kissed, a few awkward kisses, but they hadn't gone further than that (despite both of them wanting to).

The two of them made small talk over bruschetta, a favourite of theirs from years earlier, and Nathan ordered a bottle of champagne for them.

They weren't quite their old selves, but they were getting close.

* * *

"Nathan, what are we?" Sammy wanted to know, as the two of them, hand in hand, walked along the harbour.

"Sam… what do you think we are?" he said instead, squeezing her hand gently.

Neither of them were sure- but neither of them wanted to say what they thought, either.

"We have so much history", she sighed. "We were so young, Nathan".

"We still are", he reminded her.

And the two of them descended into a comfortable silence once more.

* * *

"I'm telling you, Nathan and Sammy are like the real life Ross and Rachel", Ben said conversationally, ticking Edward's tummy through his wonder suit while they lay on the lounge together.

"I'm sure they'd love being compared to fictional characters", Retta chuckled, as she passed Ben the bottle she had heated up.

"Really, Retta, if you had known them before the shit hit the fan, you'd say that too", he said with a grin, plugging Edward's mouth with the bottle and leaning back.

"They are babe", Carbo nodded in agreement. "But don't ever say that to Sammy. She probably wouldn't like that too much".

"Right", she said in amusement.

Conversation between the three of them dwindled, as Edward sucked furiously at his formula and Carbo absent mindedly drew patterns on the small bulge that was Retta's belly.

* * *

"Let's start from the beginning", Sammy said suddenly.

"Hmmm?" Nathan turned to her, as he turned into Carrs Park.

"Let's start over", she repeated. "From the beginning. Let's be strangers again. Let's get to know each other again, relearn what we already know. We can make new inside jokes and create new memories. And give each other a second chance".

Or an eighth or so chance, but neither of them said that.

"Lets start from the beginning", Nathan agreed.

* * *

"Benno, phone", Carbo called as Ben descended down the stairs, having tucked Edward into bed, and Ben snatched it up.

"Ring a ding ding you've reached the king".

"Hi darling", Julie said with a smile, and Ben laughed.

"Hi Mum- how's the road?"

"It's good, darling, its good- treating us well. It's an adventure we wish we could have had with you and the other two".

"Well you've got Ruby, so it can't be that bad". He chuckled. "So where are you? When I got your last message you were traipsing around SA".

"Well we're still in South Australia".

"That's nice, that's nice. What's the weather like in SA?"

"The weather's nice darling".

"You're seriously talking about the weather?" Dave said incredulously. "God Jules".

"I wanna talk!" Ruby said excitedly, holding her hand out for the phone. Julie smiled.

"Ben, you've got a little one who wants to have a chat to you".

"Aw, Rubes!" Ben grinned. "Hey kid, what's happening?"

"Hi Ben!"

"How's the road?"

"Good. Don't like being in the car but".

"Get used to it kid, you've got hundreds of thousands of kilometres to go".

"Really?"

"Yeah. Hey Rubes, do you miss me?"

"Yes".

"I miss you too. Ruby you'll always be my baby!" Ben warbled and Ruby frowned, sticking her bottom lip out.

"Ben! I not your baby!"

"You'll always be my baby!"

"Ben!"

"Ben stop teasing your sister!" Julie called, sighing. She turned to her husband to see him sitting there with a grin on his face. "How is it we're thousands of kilometres away from them and he can still tease his sister?"

"Rachel's on the other side of the world and he still manages to tease her". Dave shrugged and Julie chuckled, as Ruby snapped.

"Ben! I not your baby".

And she removed the phone from her ear, glancing at the touch screen before tapping the red 'end call' button.

"She hung up on me!" Ben said indignantly.

"I'd hang up on you too", Nathan commented as he and Sammy walked through the door and Retta laughed.


	4. Chapter 4

New York may not have been picture perfect Sydney, but their view was pretty spectacular. At least that was what Rachel Rafter thought. The New York City skyline was what she and her long-time partner woke up to every morning, and although it wasn't Aus, it was a pretty good second. She may not have seen the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House on her way to work, but she saw the Statue of Liberty and Times Square.

And while it wasn't Sydney, it was home.

"We're doing an Aussie Christmas, right?" Jake wanted to know, as she snatched the toast as it popped up. "We have to book tickets soon".

"It'll be nice to see everyone", Rachel agreed. "We did a white Christmas last year".

The white Christmas had been nice, almost picture perfect, but having grown up under the scorching Australian sun, it wasn't something they were used to. They had shivered their way down the streets to see the Christmas tree in Times Square, wondering why they weren't watching the tree in the heat in Martin Place. And when they saw the ball drop, they were hours behind their family, who had watched the Sydney fireworks over the harbour.

They hadn't been back since they had left for New York, and it wasn't because they didn't want to. They did, they one hundred percent wanted to go and see their family and friends and catch up on everything. They were saving for a house, for the family that they would one day have, whether it be in Aus or the States. The year in New York they had planned had turned longer, but, Rachel reasoned, that was why Skype was invented.

"We'll book tickets tonight", he agreed. Jake tossed Rachel an avocado, watching as she sliced and twisted it in half. "Dinner. Lasagne?"

They both loved lasagne- but Rachel wasn't sure if they loved it or the story of theirs behind it.

"What's in béchamel sauce, Jake?" she questioned innocently, mashing avocado on her toast.

"Cheese".

"And?" her eyes twinkled with unshed laughter and his eyes sparkled.

"Béchamels".

"Chinese food?" she checked.

"I'll bring it home". He grabbed his backpack, pressing a kiss to her lips. "I'll see you tonight, I love you". As he pulled the door closed behind him, he patted his pocket. Inside his shorts was the little velvet box that he had been carrying around for at least six months, unable to find the perfect moment.

He knew that Rachel was the one for him within an hour of them meeting. They had done the together, the apart, they had broken up and gotten back together. And despite all that, they were stronger than ever.

Maybe that would be the night.

* * *

"Rach!" Jake called.

"In here!"

"Where's here?" he wanted to know, dumping the bag of Chinese food on the coffee table.

"Bedroom! Talking to Ben".

"Hi Ben!"

"Hey Jake", Ben said cheerily.

"Mate it's like the middle of the night, what's going on?"

"Edward's getting teeth, so we're all awake", he grumbled, as Sammy appeared wearily in the background.

"Hey Jake".

"Just think, when he's got all his teeth, the Carboretta baby will be teething", Rachel said with a smile. "Good to talk to you Benny- tells Nathan to give him a combination of Panadol and Nurofen-"

"Rachel! I am not going to overdose my nephew!"

"I am not going to overdose my nephew! They're meant to work together! One's an anti-inflammatory and the other works for pain", she snapped, and Jake dropped a kiss to the top of her head. "Talk to you later".

"See ya Rach", Sammy said, sounding surprisingly chipper for the amount of sleep she'd gotten.

"Bye", Jake said cheerily. "Chinese food in the lounge room".

"What movie should we watch?"

Somehow, they had become that couple. While they did hit the town (and when they did, they hit it hard).

Jake shrugged, pulling the cardboard containers from the bag and dropping down to the lounge. "Whatever you want".

The two of them settled down on the lounge, Rachel leaning against his chest as they ate. And once they had completely eaten their fill (Rachel objecting to the tub of Chunky Monkey in the freezer that they had been sharing), they sat back, their eyes on Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore in The Wedding Singer.

And when the timing was right, Jake slipped the ring onto Rachel's finger. She turned to face him and he raised an eyebrow at her, glancing at the diamond on her finger.

"Yes!" she almost shrieked, throwing herself at him, tears forming in her eyes. He laughed, wrapping her arms around her, kissing her passionately.


	5. Chapter 5

"Where's our next stop?" Julie questioned as she climbed into the passenger seat. Their cabin on the Great Ocean Road had served them well, but it was time for them to move on if they were going to see the rest of Australia. Dave slammed the back door of the van, before hopping into the driver's seat.

"Rome", he said, starting up the van and Julie turned to him in surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"Or Roma", he shrugged.

"Roma, Queensland?"

"Well that might not be our first stop", he amended, "But Roma's definitely on the list. How does that sound, Rubes? Wanna go to Roma?"

"Yeah", Ruby yawned, slumped in her car seat tiredly. "I wanna to go Roma. Where is Roma? Is it a long drive?"

"I'm afraid so, sweetheart", Julie nodded.

"Oh".

Having gone from being cooped in her five point harness to spending the days running around in the ocean air, she was not happy about being put back into the van. And she had made her opinion very clear that morning (she didn't let her temper show often, but when she did it was fierce). She had found the freedom of the outdoors much more entertaining than watching the scenery pass by in her car seat.

"Sorry kiddo", Dave apologised. "We're not going to have too long of a drive today, Rubes. What do you think we should do when we get to Melbourne?"

"I dunno", she said with a shrug, reaching over for one of her picture books.

"Wanna have a barbecue tonight? Or want to go out for dinner?"

"Go out", she decided, flipping through the pages as she rested her head against the padded seat.

They were headed to Melbourne. They didn't know what Melbourne had in store for them; they just knew it'd be an adventure. The older kids had had the chance to travel, but Dave and Julie had barely gone further from their Whiting Beach house every summer.

"I wanna talk to Ben", Ruby said suddenly.

"We will, tonight", Julie promised, turning around in her seat to see her youngest's eyelids drooping.

Despite being the youngest by over twenty years, Ruby was used to having her siblings around. Rachel and Nathan had lived at home for the first eighteen months of her life, and Ben was right on the other side of the Colourbond. And then there was Carbo, the man she thought of like a brother and Retta her big sister.

Despite being on their adventure, not a moment went by where they didn't think of their big kids. Julie wondered how Ben and Emma were, how Sammy and Nathan were working out their relationship (with a baby involved) and Rachel and Jake, the newly engaged couple in New York.

"She's asleep", Dave said after a while, jolting Julie out of her thoughts. "Penny for your thoughts, beautiful?"

"I'm just glad I'm on this adventure with you", Julie said with a smile. "I didn't realise we'd do this in these circumstances…"

"I never thought we'd be doing this with her in tow", Dave chuckled. "but I'm so so glad we are".

Ruby, their sweet surprise, hadn't been in their plans. But it was after hearing her heartbeat at that first ultrasound that they began to wonder where she'd been their entire lives.

Years earlier, they'd assumed that once they hit retirement, they'd take off out of Carrs Park, heading off on an adventure.

They were nowhere near retirement. But that didn't matter.

They were on the adventure together, for better or for worse.

"I love you", Julie said in reply, leaning towards her husband.


	6. Chapter 6

"Hold on Rubes- Nathan!" Ben hollered up the stairs. "HEY NAY-FAN! Ruby wants to talk to you!"

"Oh my God Ben!" Nathan ran a hand through his hair. "Did you miss the memo that the kid is sleeping?"

"Yeah Ben, shut the hell up!" Carbo said defensively. "If you wake my baby-"

"Your baby's twenty thousand leagues under the sea, I think they're okay". Ben handed the phone over, before motioning to Retta's baby belly. "Ruby. She wants to talk to you. I don't know why either".

"Be nice Ben", Retta chastised, frowning at him and placing her hands protectively over her bump.

"What is this, gang up on Benno day?" Ben said in disgust. "Sam-"

"Switzerland!" she raised a hand from the lounge, where she was furiously tapping at her laptop's keyboard.

It seemed that Sammy had permanently joined them in the Calamari Castle. Suddenly there was another toothbrush in the bathroom and extra shoes by the door and another car parked on the street out the front of the house. And while the dynamic of the house hadn't changed dramatically (she was there every single day anyway) it was nice to have her back (it reminded Ben of the old days, he had informed them at breakfast, making Nathan roll his eyes and grin at Sammy).

"Where are they, anyway?" Carbo wanted to know.

"Melbourne or something". Ben shrugged, tossing the phone to Nathan.

The day the new neighbours moved in had been a weird day. Because all of a sudden the people on the other side of the Colourbond were not Rafters. They weren't Dave tinkering in the shed, they weren't Julie who could fix anything with a cup of tea and a piece of chocolate cake, and they weren't Ruby who lugged around her birthday rag doll and her cement mixer.

Their new neighbours weren't weird. Not even semi weird (and that had had to be a first in their lives, Rachel had chortled all the way from the Big Apple).

It was just different.

"We're visiting Granddad tomorrow", Nathan said, and Ben frowned slightly. "Mum", he mouthed at his brother.

Nathan and Ben made the effort to visit their grandfather at least once a week. More times if they were lucky. But every time it got harder because he remembered their mother as a little girl, and sometimes got their names wrong.

He didn't remember Ruby's name.

(Ben dreaded the day Ted forgot his name.)

He looked at Sammy like he knew her, but they couldn't be sure.

But they did sit with him and talk and listen to the stories he'd told them when they were kids, knowing that the number of times left that he'd tell those stories were limited.

* * *

"Hey Granddad!" Ben said cheerfully, wheeling Edward's pram into his grandfather's room, Nathan right behind him.

Ted was having a good day; they'd been told when they arrived. And Ted's good days meant that he would recognise them, and that made all the difference. Because they knew one day- one day in the not so distant future- their names would be forgotten, and the memories they had of their granddad would be altered.

(Nathan had been Louise's favourite, and everyone knew it. But he could never think of her without remembering his wedding day, supposed to be the happiest day of his life. She had fallen to the floor as he and Sammy descended down the aisle, and that was all Nathan could think about.)

That day was no different. Ted told stories about the beach and how he and Louise had always taken Julie fishing, despite her not liking attaching prawns onto the hooks. He spoke fondly of Whiting Beach and how he and Louise had planned to travel, but had much preferred home. They had been homebodies. And that way, they'd gotten to see the grandkids more (although he never said that).

Sometimes, he spoke about his family as if he was speaking to strangers. But then he'd smile, like it just dawned on him who they were.

(They were the best moments.)

* * *

"How y'all doin' y'all?" Jake said through the webcam and Retta and Sammy stared.

"He's trying that out", Rachel filled in. "It's horrible, isn't it? How's Granddad?"

"Having a good day", Ben filled in.

"Good". She smiled in relief (there was no denying that Rachel was his favourite). "Jake and I are planning a trip back to Sydney; want to house us for a day or two?"

The Calamari Castle was big. But how many people did she think it could fit? They could not fit five adults and two infants into one house, Carbo had complained, no matter how many Greek relatives Theo and Rita had crammed into the elastic walls.

But before Carbo could start, Jake laughed.

"We're staying with Mum when we do come home. We're talking about tracking down Dave and Jules and seeing them while we're there".

"Mum would kill you if you didn't", Nathan chuckled, holding up baby Edward to the monitor. "Say hi Aunty Rachel, hi Uncle Jake!"

"He's so cute", Rachel crooned. "Has my parcel arrived yet?"

"Not yet".

"You posted it this morning", Jake protested.

"I want a baby".

"Well that was an insight into your sex life I didn't need", Ben said, wrinkling his nose.

"Awww, getting clucky Rach?" Sammy laughed.

She totally was. She was jealous of Nathan's baby and slightly jealous of Ruby (because if she had gone to term with her own pregnancy, that child would have only been slightly older than her little sister), and Retta's beautiful baby bump made her want one of her own.

"Not yet". She shook her head, laughing a little. "No babies until we decide if we're staying in New York or coming home".

"Wait, what?" Retta said. "You're staying in New York?"

"Maybe", Jake filled in. "its all up in the air right now... Rachel's been offered to renew her contract here, and I've got steady work... we're not sure right now".

They sat in silence for all of a moment, much like when Rachel had announced she was going overseas in the first place.

"When I come to New York I'm totally crashing on your couch", Ben said quickly. "I'm as free as a bird; I can come and go as I please".

"You run the boat club".

"Meaning I can take all the holidays I want!" he laughed, somewhat bittersweetly (because he and Melissa should have had their own family).

"Welcome anytime mate". Jake smiled at him, and Sammy squeezed Ben's shoulder gently.


End file.
